The Buffalo Bills have announced that they have appointed Rex Ryan as their new head coach.

Ryan was fired by the New York Jets at the end of the 2014 season as the club posted a 4-12 record, missing the playoffs for the fourth campaign in a row.

The Bills lost their head coach when Doug Marrone opted out of his deal with the franchise, despite guiding them to a winning season.

However, Buffalo moved swiftly to snag the signature of the in-demand Ryan, who had interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers, to sign him to a five-year deal with the AFC East club.

Owner Terry Pegula told the club's official website: "Following an extensive search, we are pleased today to announce that Rex Ryan is our new head coach.

"Rex brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to the position that we feel will be a tremendous benefit to our players and the entire Bills organisation.

"He was very impressive during the interview process, as were many of the candidates to which we spoke, and we feel Rex is the best fit for our team. We look forward to his leadership and expertise in directing our team to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans."

Ryan guided the Jets to the AFC championship game twice in his six years at the club.